Spoelstra on Heat loss: 'It's really disgraceful'

MIAMI — The Miami Heat's supporting cast can talk all it wants about a lack of respect.

But it can't talk with pride. Not now. Not after this one. Not after losing at home to the worst team in the Western Conference.

With Dwyane Wade watching from the bench as he sat out a third consecutive game with a strained left calf, the Heat proved unable to keep pace with a team as anonymous as any in the NBA.

About the only memorable aspect of this 91-88 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves is that it well may erase the Jan. 20th 104-65 loss in Charlotte as the low point of the season.

"It's really disgraceful to come in with that type of effort with what we have at stake," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I could not be more disappointed with that effort or focus."

At least the 39-point drubbing at the hands of the Bobcats came on the road.

This came in front of Pat Riley and Micky Arison, and others who had expressed faith in this supporting cast constructed around Wade.

"They came in like they had more urgency and desperation to their season," Spoelstra said. "And it's really disgraceful that it came down to that."

No, he was not happy, at all.

"Erik was definitely upset," said forward Dorell Wright, who led the Heat with a career-high 26 points. "I've never seen him that upset before. He had every right to be."

Through it all, it came down to one of the biggest in-game decisions in Spoelstra's two-year career. After an 18-footer by Wright drew the Heat within 89-88 with 28.5 seconds to go, the Heat elected not to foul.

The 'Wolves wound up with a wayward shot with 4.9 seconds to play by rookie guard Jonny Flynn that bounded long. But Kevin Love then back-tapped the rebound. Two foul shots by Minnesota teammate Wayne Ellington followed with 1.1 seconds to play. The game ended on a wayward 3-pointer by Heat guard Daequan Cook.

"If we get a stop and rebound, we got probably about five seconds there, or more," Spoelstra said of his decision.

But on this night, little went right.

"We have to play hard from start to finish like we had been doing," Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. "I don't think we came out with the energy that we had been coming out with."

Perhaps the loss should not have been a total shock.

Entering the night, only the Nets entered with fewer than the Timberwolves' four road victories. Then again, entering the night, the Heat stood a mere 14-12 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

The homecourt disadvantage continued to confound, with the Heat down 45-41 at halftime, after falling behind by 17 early in the second quarter.

Michael Beasley, who began the talk of respect in the wake of Wade's injury, was abysmal, shooting 5 of 18, continually forcing the action.

"It's been like this all year," Beasley said of the Heat falling down just when it looks as if it has regained its footing, now just 29-29 and desperately fighting for a playoff spot. "Some games we want to play; some games we don't."

The only Heat starter who produced was center Jermaine O'Neal, who finished with 18 points.

"We are definitely going to look back and cringe at this one," Beasley said.

After its deficit reached 80-66 in the fourth quarter, the Heat made a late charge behind a 4-point play from reserve guard Mario Chalmers and three free throws from forward Quentin Richardson when he was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer.

But it wasn't enough.

"Right from the get-go, they jumped us," Spoelstra said. "From an energy standpoint, we never hit back for more than a two- or three-minute segment."